I am a Lecturer II in the Department of Chemistry and the Resident Master for the STEM Residential College int Arkansas Hall. In both capacities, I work with first-year university students to assist in their academic success. As an educator my goals are not only to encourage students to become excited about science specifically chemistry, but to help them develop life skills that will provide a foundation for success. I teach freshman-level chemistry classes in which students not only learn scientific knowledge, but also tenacity, responsibility, reasoning skills, and a willingness to seek help as needed. Outside of the classroom, I facilitate opportunities for college students, through the STEM@Arkansas and the UCA Chapter of the American Chemical Society, to interact with K-12 students providing hands-on activities to encourage enthusiasm for science at an early age.

My research interest is in the field of chemical education. My research group actively works to improve student success through the development and analysis of: (1) laboratory exercises that directly apply knowledge taught in the classroom, (2) the uses of hands-on activities that allow students to visualize the microscopic world, (3) advising materials to assist in the placement of chemistry students so as to retain students, (4) various online materials that are designed to improve success rates in the freshman-level chemistry courses, and (5) working with secondary educators to improve the scientific preparedness of students entering college chemistry courses.

Watch for me as I walk my fabulous dachshunds Zach and Cat (short for Catalyst) around campus.